United States Education System: American Age Criteria for School

The United States education system and the American age criteria for school are two-pronged piece of information which has proven essential for both those who are already entrenched in the system or are about to get close to sniffing the atmosphere. The US system of education is different from what obtains in other countries. That is why we will be looking into this specially.

US Education System and Age Criteria

Education is provided in public and private schools and by individuals through homeschooling. State governments set overall educational standards, often mandate standardized tests for K–12 public school systems and supervise, usually through a board of regents, state colleges, and universities.

The bulk of the $1.3 trillion in funding comes from state and local governments, with federal funding accounting for about $260 billion in 2021 compared to around $200 billion in past years.

By state law, education is compulsory over an age range starting between five and eight and ending somewhere between ages sixteen and eighteen, depending on the state. This requirement can be satisfied in public or state-certified private schools, or an approved home school program. Compulsory education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school.

The large majority of the world’s top universities, as listed by various ranking organizations, are in the United States, including 19 of the top 25, and the most prestigious – the Harvard University, and the country placed first in the annual U.S. News & World Report Best Countries for Education rankings. The U.S. has by far the most Nobel Prize winners in history, with 403 (having won 406 awards).

The country has a reading literacy rate of 99% of the population over age 15, while ranking below average in science and mathematics understanding compared to other developed countries.

• Undergraduate

Undergraduate studies can start immediately after secondary school. There are two main options: a two-year associate’s degree and a four-year bachelor’s degree.

Generally, associate’s degrees are granted at two-year US community colleges, while bachelor’s degrees are awarded from four-year colleges and universities. In both cases, students choose a focus for their academic studies called a major. In addition to courses in a major, students take required core curriculum or general education classes that develop critical thinking and communication skills.

• Graduate and Post-Graduate

Graduate studies are only available to students who have completed a bachelor’s degree. In many countries, graduate studies are called post-graduate studies and can take up to five years or more. In the US, the term post-graduate studies can refer to work after a master’s degree program, including studies for a doctoral degree.

International students who have finished bachelor’s degrees in their home countries, the United States, or third countries have two options for graduate studies in the United States: master’s and doctorate (or doctoral) degrees.

Master’s degrees can require one to two years of study. In the final term of most master’s programs, students must complete a thesis (a large, well-documented essay) or a project before they will be awarded the master’s degree.

The length of doctorate programs will depend on two things:

1. whether students must first complete a master’s degree in a related field, and
2. how long it takes to complete a dissertation

Generally, if you have finished a master’s degree and are then admitted to a doctoral program, the coursework will take two to three years. After finishing doctoral classes, you typically begin work on a dissertation or research paper/project that serves as the focus of your degree studies. With any paper or project, a faculty member will serve as a director or adviser.

United States of America System of Education Terms and their Meanings

Here are terms and meanings related to US system of education:

• Academic credits: the unit of measure for a student’s progress toward graduation. A typical university-level bachelor’s degree class is worth three credits. Normally, to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, students need to earn between 120 and 133 credits, which equals 40 to 44 classes.
• Accreditation: six regional and dozens of program-specific groups, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, that permit colleges to operate as educational institutions.
• Associate degree: the first academic degree possible after completing secondary school. This two-year degree program has an academic focus in one area with a number of other classes in the liberal arts. Associate degrees are normally completed at two-year community colleges.
• Bachelor’s degree: typically a four-year degree completed at post-secondary colleges and universities.
• College: a post-secondary institution in the United States. It can be a two-year institution for either academic or vocational studies or a four-year academic institution. Within universities, the academic divisions may be called colleges (e.g., College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, etc.).
• Community college: a two-year post-secondary educational institution that primarily offers associate degree programs.
• Doctoral degree: often called a PhD (doctor of philosophy) or EdD (doctor of education), this is the highest academic level of study offered in the United States. Doctoral programs are available to students who have either completed a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in a related subject. The length of the program depends on whether students already have a master’s before entry and the time it takes after completion of coursework to write a required dissertation (between one and four years).
• GPA: the academic grade point average students receive from their various classes taken in college or university. Generally, students are graded in each course on a 4.0 scale (4 being high, 0 low). In the US education system, a 4.0 GPA equals an A, 3.0 is a B, 2.0 is a C, 1.0 is a D, and 0.0 is an F.
• Graduate studies: academic programs that start after completing a four-year undergraduate degree and generally lead to master’s or doctorate degrees.
• Liberal arts: areas of study covering humanities subjects like history, English literature, foreign language, mathematics, social studies, and natural sciences.
• Liberal arts college: post-secondary institutions that focus primarily on academic programs in the humanities and social sciences.
• Major: the primary focus of an undergraduate student’s degree studies. Majors are similar to the term “course of study” for international students. In US colleges and universities, the major represents anywhere from 33-50% of the total number of classes a student takes to graduate.
• Master’s degree: normally a one- to two-year graduate study degree with an intensive focus in a particular academic subject. A master’s thesis or project is often required.
• Quarter: An academic calendar variation that divides the year into four 10-week-long periods, with only three required (fall, winter, spring).
• School: a US institution that educates students; often refers to places with K-12 learners. Within colleges and universities, “schools” can be considered a sub-division of a university’s academic areas (e.g., School of Engineering, School of Business). It can also be used as a slang term.
• Semester: a common measurement for an academic term. Typically, colleges and universities have two semesters (fall and spring) in a required academic year. Each semester is approximately 16 weeks long. Many universities also offer a summer semester for students who do not start in fall or for those who may want or need to take additional courses to accelerate or stay on track with their academic programs.
• State university: a public four-year institution, funded in part by the state in which it is located. Public state universities tend to have large student body sizes.
• Transfer credits: credits for students who have already completed some academic work at a different university that is then applied toward a degree program at a new university where the student is enrolled.
• Trimester: an academic calendar that follows three terms – fall, winter, and spring. Each trimester is 12 to 13 weeks long.
• Undergraduate studies: the first level of academic studies students take after completing secondary school. Undergraduate studies lead to either associate’s or bachelor’s degrees.
• University: a four-year post-secondary educational institution. These institutions can offer all levels of post-secondary degrees (associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate).